• Columnists

Donna Fisher, author, "Professional Networking for Dummies"

COLUMN = NETWORKING

Donna Fisher is an entrepreneur at heart. She loves creating and growing fun and profitable businesses. For 20 years, she has had her own business as a speaker/trainer for corporate meetings, conferences and conventions. She earned her Certified Speaking Professional designation CSP in 1998 and has continued to present programs on “People, Power and Possibilities.”

Along with her speaking business, she is the co-owner and President of HiHat, Inc., a manufacturing and retail business for drums and percussion instruments. http://www.percussiononline.com

In 2009, the Percussion Center was ranked as one of the “Top 50 Fastest Growing Woman-Owned Businesses in Houston” based on a growth of 156% from 2002 to 2009 and 20.8% from 2007 to 2008. This led to the creation of her training program, “Drumming Up Business.”

In 2004, she rediscovered her creative side and her love of crocheting while visiting her Mother in North Carolina. The creative juices led to the development of three products, the camishawl, the Sharap and Chakra Shawls. Her product line is Soft & Luxurious custom designed and hand created wearable textiles. http://www.softandluxurious.com

Her five books, “Power Networking,” “People Power,” “Power NetWeaving,” “Switched-On Networking,” and “Professional Networking for Dummies” have been translated into four languages, recommended by Time magazine, and used as reference books in corporations and universities.

Donna’s mission is to be a catalyst for people to communicate and relate with respect and dignity and connect with people to make a difference. She helps people get set up to use Send Out Cards to stay connected with clients, prospects, family and friends.

For more information, visit www.donnafisher.com.

He who wants to tear down a house must be prepared to rebuild it.”

– African Proverb

You may ask me for anything you like except time.”

– Napoleon

A truly forgiving person is someone who experiences all the anger merited by injustice and still acts with fairness and compassion.”

– Martha Beck

Do you have the desire to create something new; the strength of conviction to believe your creation will be successful, and the reservoir of energy necessary to thrust it into the marketplace?”

– Steven Schussler

If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.”

– Joseph Addison

He who knows he has enough is rich.”

– Tao Te Ching

The person who makes a success of living is the one who see his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly. That is dedication.”

– Cecil B. DeMille

The journey is the reward.”

– Greg Norman

Our deepest wishes are whispers of our authentic selves. We must learn to respect them. We must learn to listen.”

– Sarah Ban Breathnach

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”

– Mark Twain

The great use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it.”

– William James

It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.”

– William Shakespeare

If you were independently wealthy and never had to work a day in your life, would you still choose to spend your time attempting to become a successful entrepreneur?”

– Steven Schussler

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

– Seneca

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

– Thomas Edison

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?”

– Magical

Death is to lose the earth you know, for greater knowing; to lose the life you have, for greater life; to leave the friends you loved, for greater loving; to find a land more kind than home, more large than earth.”

– Thomas Wolfe

You must have chaos within you, to create a dancing star.”

– Frederic Nietzsche

With ordinary talents and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.”

– Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton

Remove those ‘I want you to like me’ stickers from your forehead
and, instead, place them where they truly will do the most good—on your mirror.”

– Susan Jeffers

Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value.”

– Albert Einstein

When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.”

– Audre Lorde

The dove descending breaks the air / With flame of inkandescent terror.”

– T.S. Eliott

A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind.”

– Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’”

– Brian Tracy

There is only one success – to be able to spend your life in your own way.”

– Christopher Morley

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

– John Quincy Adams

Anything not worth doing well is not worth doing.”

– Warren Buffett

Instead of loving your enemies, treat your friends a little better.”

– Edgar W. Howe

Confidence is the most important thing you can teach someone… if you can teach them confidence, you don’t have to teach them anything else.”

– Vin Diesel

Persist and persevere, and you will find most things that are attainable, possible.”

– Lord Chesterfield

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

– Nelson Mandela

A people who mean to be their Governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

– James Madison

I’ve come to confirm that one’s title, even that of president, says little about how well one’s life has been led. No matter how much you’ve done, or how successful you’ve been, there’s always more to do, to learn, and to achieve.”

– Barack Obama

Why am I whispering when I have something to say?”

– Eve Ensler

Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.”

– E.B. White

Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

– Christopher Robin to Pooh

Women once had the goal of being Superwoman; I think most of us now simply strive to have a super day.”

– Author, Activist Lee Woodruff

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

– T.S. Eliot

Whosoever knows how to fight well is not angry. Whosoever knows how to conquer enemies does not fight them.”

– Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail. There’s only make.”

– Corita Kent

This is the age when magical technologies make more and more radically fun ideas plausible, even easy. You’re only limited by your creativity.”

– Martha Beck

Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.”

– Albert Einstein

You take your life in your own hands, and what happens?
 A terrible thing: no one to blame.”

– Erica Jong

The quality of your life is directly related to the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably live with.”

– Tony Robbins

Think of yourself as on the threshold of unparalleled success. A whole, clear, glorious life lies before you. Achieve! Achieve!”

– Andrew Carnegie

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which obstacles vanish.”

– John Quincy Adams

Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.”

– Leo Jozef Suenens

Almost anyone can start a community, but it takes real talent and commitment to get people to show up and keep coming back.”

– Andy Sernovitz

Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”

– Groucho Marx